Inspiration
Is flexible check-in and check-out the most underrated luxury?
In our rush-everywhere world, forward-thinking hotels have cracked the code on what travellers might actually need
In an era where slowing down has become the ultimate travel aspiration - think slow tourism, calmcationing and extended stays - we find ourselves contemplating the subtle luxuries that make the biggest impact.
Six Senses Zighy Bay thrills guests with its paragliding arrivals, while Passalacqua enchants them with its fleet of luxury boats for Lake Como jaunts - but what if the greatest indulgence was something far simpler, like extra time?
We're perpetually racing from destination to destination and, as they say, the smallest gestures can make the biggest difference. In an ode to one of the most underrated hotel luxuries, we're highlighting flexible hotel check-in and check-out times, a rare offering that we feels deserves recognition.
Think landing in your destination after an overnight flight and going straight to your room instead of killing time until the usual 3pm check-in. Or having a proper breakfast on the last day of your stay without watching the clock, perhaps squeezing in one more swim, or booking a table at the restaurant you've been eyeing, all without the stress of a 10am checkout.
The Peninsula Hotels is a pioneer in this thoughtful approach. Their Peninsula Time programme allows for your room to be ready from 6am on your arrival date and check out as late as 10pm on your departure date, at no extra charge. I experienced this service at the impeccable Peninsula Istanbul, where I was able to stretch the decadent 12-dish Turkish breakfast into a longer event. Continuing to embrace a slower departure, I was then able to relax with a hammam ritual at the spa (if you do anything at the hotel, make it this treatment) and an hour of reading on my terrace before I finally checked out in the afternoon.
With its New York, London and Tokyo outposts, as well as the flagship Hong Kong property, The Peninsula leads in its flexible approach across all its hotels.
In London, the new Chancery Rosewood continues the hotel brand's legacy of creating enriching escapes with its progressive check-in policy. Every stay at the Mayfair address includes completely flexible arrival and departure times. It doesn't stop there, either. This attention to detail extends to complimentary house car transfers - precisely what a weary red-eye traveller needs.
Allowing us to slow down and enjoy our surroundings for longer, flexible check-in and check-out emerges as one of the most underestimated luxuries in hospitality.
And this is only one of the small touches from hotels that make a huge difference. At Amanwana on Indonesia's Moyo Island, while you're out scuba diving or trekking, your laundry appears magically cleaned and pressed - no forms, no questions, simply place your clothing in the basket.
Little Emperors' Head of Partnerships, Ivana Piccolotti, praises South Afrcia's Singita Lebombo for its complimentary laundry service, saying: "Within 24 hours my clothing was washed, pressed and delivered to me in a leather satchel."
Another excellent extra is the complimentary minibar. At The Mercer in New York, for instance, guests will find healthy snacks, like Kalamata olives and tamari almonds, along with Tate's Bake cookies and fizzy drinks in the minibar. Four Seasons Boston takes the concept to another level with The Vault, a dedicated room on each floor stocked with late-night craving essentials: M&Ms, Swedish Fish, artisanal crisps, gourmet popcorn and other snacks.
These seemingly small touches remind us that the real luxury often resides in the details that gift us what money cannot typically buy: time, convenience and the freedom to move at our own pace.
Little Emperors offers flexible check-in and check-out as one of its numerous perks for members at thousands of luxury hotels (subject to availability).